Demolition company prosecuted after resident sends HSE incriminating photo.
Rabbit Demolition and Excavation Ltd and its director, Colin Bell, have both been prosecuted after failing to provide a safe means for working on a roof during the demolition in September 2011.
Worthing Magistrates’ Court heard (16 July) that a member of the public sent HSE a photograph showing workers on the site removing roof tiles from a former public house. There was no edge protection in place to prevent falls and a workman was shown standing in the bucket of an excavator being driven by director Colin Bell.
HSE found the working practices were unsafe and unnecessary and that edge protection could have been provided. Alternatively, the work could have been safely carried out using a mobile elevated working platform.
Rabbit Demolition and Excavation Ltd, of Lancing, West Sussex, pleaded guilty to breaching section 25(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. The firm was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,500. Colin Bell, director of Rabbit Demolition and Excavation Ltd, of Portslade, Brighton, also pleaded guilty to the same breach. He was fined £500 with costs of £500.
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